{"id":8033,"date":"2026-09-22T12:32:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T10:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/?p=8033"},"modified":"2026-09-22T12:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T10:34:26","slug":"turning-new-ideas-into-industrial-reality-at-the-atc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/nicht-kategorisiert\/turning-new-ideas-into-industrial-reality-at-the-atc\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning new ideas into industrial reality at the ATC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Monforts Advanced Technology Centre (ATC), initially opened in 2013 and subsequently expanded, continues to be an invaluable resource to customers from around the world in achieving new standards in fabric finishing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covering an area of 1,200 square metres, the Monforts ATC at the company\u2019s headquarters in M\u00f6nchengladbach houses two full MONTEX finishing lines, engineered to accommodate an extremely diverse range of processes, in addition to a THERMEX range for the continuous dyeing of denim and other woven fabrics, a full colour kitchen and a number of lab-scale systems for smaller batch trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe ATC allows our customers to test their own textiles and technical fabrics on Monforts dyeing and finishing machines under fully confidential, real production conditions,\u201d says the company\u2019s Marketing Manager Nicole Croonenbroek. \u201cUsing the results from these trials, we are also able to make recommendations for improving many fabric finishes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical textiles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A highly-controlled and contained environment was a key consideration when constructing the special MONTEX line for technical textiles at the ATC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTechnical textiles are extremely diverse in their end-use applications and manufacturers can be called upon to quickly produce a succession of materials with widely differing properties and performance applications \u2013 often within a single shift,\u201d explains Monforts Textile Technologist Saskia Bollh\u00f6fer. \u201cThese range from substrates for digitally-printed soft signage to carbon fabrics for today\u2019s high-performance composites, and from filter media which must perform in extreme temperatures to flame retardant barrier fabrics. These very different materials all require expert coating and finishing for maximum efficiency and the technology to allow for ultimate flexibility and the ability to switch quickly from one fabric formula to the next, without compromising on the economical use of energy or raw materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advanced functions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The technical textiles line incorporates a Montex four-chamber, horizontal chain stenter and is fitted with an explosion-proof coating application chamber in order to allow treatment to be carried out with organic solvents and other volatile materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special features on the line relate to further advanced functions \u2013 the ability to treat materials not only at temperatures of up to 320\u00b0C, but also to be able to treat the top and bottom faces of certain materials at different temperatures within a single pass through the machine. There are many applications where employing two separate temperature treatments is beneficial, such as floorcoverings \u2013 where the textile face fabric is treated at one temperature and the rubber backing at another \u2013 as well as PVC flooring employing chemical foams or materials like black-out roller blinds with heavy backings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, in the pharmaceutical industry there is a wide range of different applications for organic solvents such as anti-septic treatments which have to be treated very carefully and applied at very specific temperatures in order not to destroy their efficacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most recently, a Baldwin TexCoat\u2122 G4 digital spray unit has been successfully integrated into this line and is further available for full customer trials, especially for making full use of the latest advanced sustainable finishing chemistries supplied by industry leader Archroma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BW Converting\u2019s Baldwin TexCoat G4 enables softeners, antimicrobials, durable water repellents, flame retardants and many other water-based chemicals to be precisely applied to textile surfaces, and in combination with industry-leading MONTEX stenters can reduce water, chemistry and energy consumption by up to 50% compared to traditional pad application processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe new TexCoat installation is making an important contribution to what we can achieve and we are excited to be working together with Archroma and BW Converting to bring further transformative change to the dyeing and finishing space,\u201d says Saskia Bollh\u00f6fer.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"MONTEX<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Knitwear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The second production line at the ATC has been engineered with the state-of-the art production of conventional knitwear in mind and is based around a MONTEX stenter with vertical chain return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKnitted fabrics need delicate handling as they often have a higher degree of elasticity compared to more rigid woven materials,\u201d says Nicole Croonenbroek. \u201cOur MONTEX stenters provide smooth treatment at very low and precisely controlled tension during all stages of knitted fabric handling, as well as very gentle and even thermal treatment. The MONTEX is extremely flexible in terms of the different fabric qualities it can accommodate and also provides significant benefits in terms of energy consumption.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The line is also equipped with the company\u2019s Eco Applicator system which eliminates the need for a conventional wet-on-wet padder, instead employing trough and roller techniques to precisely apply the required amount of liquid\/coating to the fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compared with a padder system, where the initial moisture content of the fabric entering the stenter is 60%, with the Eco Applicator it is reduced to 40% and the system also has the shortest fabric path from the coating unit into the stenter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eco Applicator\u2019s versatility also allows mills to apply finishes to just one side of the fabric, or both, and even to apply separate finishes to each side, or to specific areas of a fabric, for endless possibilities, whether treating wovens, denim or delicate knits.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"The<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

THERMEX<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Almost 1,000 Monforts THERMEX hotflue dyeing systems are now operational in the key manufacturing countries, with more than 150 of them already reaping the benefits of the Econtrol\u00ae process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Econtrol\u00ae, reactive dyestuffs are fixed into the fabric in a one-step dyeing and drying process with a controlled combination of steam and air. The entire pad-dry process takes just two-to-three minutes at a temperature of between 120-130\u00b0C and a relative humidity volume of 25-30%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The THERMEX line at the Monforts ATC has recently been equipped with the Monforts Universal Energy Tower, a stand-alone module which enables the heat from the exhaust air flow of thermal processes to be recovered, resulting in energy savings of up to 25%, depending on the exhaust air volume and operating temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe current focus of the industry is very much on cleaner processes in order to meet the commitments on sustainability made by the major fashion brands and with further regulations already in the pipeline,\u201d says Nicole Croonenbroek. \u201cThis is calling for new investments that enable a significant reduction in resource consumption to be achieved, but that are easy to integrate into existing production systems. THERMEX lines running Econtrol fit the bill perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From trials to production<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The value of the ATC ultimately lies in its ability to bring together the accumulated process knowledge of Monforts with full-scale production technology, allowing customers to move beyond laboratory evaluation and establish exactly how new fabrics, finishes and processes will perform under industrial conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trials can be used to determine optimum machine settings, temperatures, dwell times and application parameters, as well as to assess the implications for energy, water and chemical consumption. This provides manufacturers with reliable production data before introducing a new process at their own mills or committing to further investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The centre is also increasingly important as textile manufacturers respond to demands for lower resource consumption, new finishing chemistries and increasingly specialised fabric performance. By working alongside Monforts technologists, customers can investigate new approaches while drawing on extensive experience across conventional apparel fabrics, technical textiles, coating and dyeing and thermal finishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe ATC draws on all of the know-how of our company in respect of fabric processing,\u201d concludes Saskia Bollh\u00f6fer. \u201cIt gives customers the opportunity to work with our specialists and our latest technologies to establish solutions that are not only technically achievable, but practical and economically viable in production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhether the objective is to improve an existing process, develop an entirely new product or evaluate the potential of a new technology, we can work with customers from the initial trials through to the optimum production parameters. This is what makes the ATC such an important resource for turning new ideas into industrial reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more, please visit: www.monforts.de\/en\/techcenter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Monforts Advanced Technology Centre (ATC), initially opened in 2013 and subsequently expanded, continues to be an invaluable resource to customers from around the world in achieving new standards in fabric finishing. Covering an area of 1,200 square metres, the Monforts ATC at the company\u2019s headquarters in M\u00f6nchengladbach houses two full MONTEX finishing lines, engineered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8034,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1,210],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nicht-kategorisiert"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8033"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8033\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8041,"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8033\/revisions\/8041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monforts.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}